Therapeutic device



May 27, 1969 w. L. BOSAK THERAPEUTIC DEVICE Filed Oct. 2.7. 1964 Fig. 2

. William L. Bosak INVIJN'I'OR.

United States Patent U.S. Cl. 128-254 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Elongated conduit means including an inlet portion adapted to be secured to a common hot and cold water outlet of a bath tub and an outlet end portion including a plurality of upwardly opening apertures with the conduit means being of a length to extend from the common water outlet of a bathtub to a point on the bottom of a tub upon which a person would normally be seated and the outlet end portion of the conduit means being of a crosssectional size and shape adapted to rest upon the bottom of a bathtub and to be received in the crotch area of a patient seated on the bottom of the tube astraddle the outlet end portion of the conduit means.

This invention relates to a novel and useful therapeutic device but more specifically to a device to be used by sufferers of piles, hemorrhoids and any rectal soreness resulting from other causes which may be successfully treated from a therapeutic standpoint by the application of localized heat.

When applying heat to areas of the crotch for thera peutic purposes it is desirable to maintain the heat at a constant temperature and to apply the heat in a localized area. While it is possible for patients to be seated in a warm or hot bath in order to apply heat to the crotch area, this application of heat is not as desirable as the application of specifically localized heat inasmuch as greater temperatures of specific localized heat may be maintained without extreme discomfort and a smaller portion of the patients body is subjected to the applied heat and therefore has less tendency to make the patient uncomfortably warm.

It is conceivable that a patient wishing to apply heat to the area of the crotch would not wish to be seated in a tub of hot Water for reasons such as not wanting to perspire at other locations on his body. Should a patient have other portions of his body extensively bandaged, being seated in a hot tub of water for the purpose of applying heat to the crotch area could conceivably cause the patient to perspire excessively in the area that is bandaged. Of course, such perspiration could be detrimental to the bandaged area. Additionally, there are many other reasons why localized heat is more desirable from a medical standpoint as well as a comfort standpoint.

The therapeutic device of the instant invention includes an elongated conduit adapted at one end to be secured to a common hot and cold water outlet of a bathtub and including an outlet and having a plurality of generally radial openings formed therein and about which a diametrically enlarged soft and porous wrapping is disposed. This wrapped portion of the conduit is adapted to be seated upon by a patient in a bathtub with the plug of the tub removed. After the patient has been seated astraddle the wrapped portion of the conduit, the hot and cold water of the tub may be turned on so as to first cause warm water to be forced outwardly through the wrapped portion of the conduit. As the patient becomes use to the Warm water, the temperature of the water may be slowly increased to the desired maximum level. Of course, the warm water being forced outwardly through the wrapped portion of the conduit will come into direct contact with the portion of the patient which is to be treated and there- 3,446,210 Patented May 27, 1969 by heat that portion of the patient. However, there is a constant flow of warm or hot water outwardly of the wrapped portion of the conduit and it is of course to be understood that the water being discharged from the wrapped portion of the conduit will run down the bottom of the tub and out the drain thereof in order that the patient will be heated only in the area of his person which is in contact with the wrapped portion of the conduit.

The main object of this invention is to provide a novel and useful therapeutic device for locally applying conditioned fluids to the crotch of a patients body.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a therapeutic device specifically designed to be utilized in connection with a conventional bathtub of the type including a common hot and cold water outlet and for the purpose of directly applying desired temperature Water to the area of the patient which is to be treated.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a therapeutic device which may be readily maintained in a sanitary condition so as to be used by a number of patients, the porous wrapping portion of the device which comes in direct contact with the patient being readily removable from the conduit portion thereof and replaceable by means of a fresh wrapped portion.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a therapeutic device which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble-free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the therapeutic device with portions of the wrapping disposed about the conduit portion thereof being broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the therapeutic device with the opposite end rings and the wrapping illustrated in longitudinal vertical section taken substantially upon a plane passing through the longitudinal centerline of the device; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by'the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates the therapeutic device of the instant invention. The device 10 include an elongated conduit 12 including an internally threaded inlet end 14 to which an attaching loop 16 is secured. A pair of straps 18 and 20 are secured to the attaching loop 16 and the inlet end 14 of the conduit 12 is adapted to be threadedly engaged with the externally threaded common hot and cold water outlet 22 of a bathtub.

Although the therapeutic device 10 is illustrated and described herein as being utilized in connection with a common hot and cold water outlet of a bathtub, it is to be noted that the device 10 may also be utilized to locally apply various types of conditioned fluids including fluids other than water and conditioned other ways than by being heated.

The outlet end portion of the conduit 12 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially and longitudinally spaced outlet openings or apertures 24, 26 and 28. It will be noted that the openings 24, 26 and 28 are disposed along one side of the conduit 12 and that the portion of the conduit 12 in which the openings 24, 26 and 28 are formed is enclosed by a soft and porous wrapping 30 whose opposite ends are at least partially fluid sealed relative to the conduit 12 by means of clamping wires 32 and 34.

The conduit 12 extends through the wrapping 30 and terminates in a closed end portion 36 which also has an attaching eye 38 secured thereto, the eye 38 further having a pair of attaching straps 40 and 42 secured thereto.

In operation, the patient to be treated may be seated astraddle the wrapped portion of the conduit 12 in a bathtub with the inlet end portion of the conduit 12 secured to the common hot and cold water outlet 22 of the tub. Then, the straps 18 and as well as the straps 40 and 42 may be secured about the waist of the patient. Thereafter, the hot and cold Water of the tub 46 may be turned on so that warm water is initially discharged through the wrapping 30 by means of the openings 24, 26 and 28 formed in the conduit 12. As the patient 44 becomes use to the warm temperature of the water being discharged, the temperature of the water may be increased as desired. Each time the patient becomes accustomed to the warmer water, its temperature may again be increased until the maximum desired temperature of the water is reached.

Thus it may be seen that the therapeutic device 10 is capable of locally applying conditioned fluid to the crotch of a patient in a manner which enables the patient to be comfortable during the time of treatment. In addition to the device 10 being usable in the tub 46, it has also been conceived that its use may be extended to patients restricted to a hospital bed or the like by having the patient disposed astraddle the wrapped portion of the conduit 12 in the aforementioned manner and seated upon or in a shallow pan on the bed. Such a shallow pan can be provided with a gravity-type drain and the inlet end of the conduit 12 may be communicated wth the hot and cold water outlets of a bedside basin or the like. Still further, inasmuch as the device 10 is provided with the attaching straps 18, 20, 40 and 42, the device 10 may be worn by a patient disposed in numerous positions with the device 10 still being operable to apply specifically localized heat for therapeutic purposes.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A therapeutic device for locally applying conditioned fluids to the crotch of a patients body, said device comprising elongated conduit means including an inlet end portion adapted to be secured to a common hot and cold water outlet of a bathtub and an outlet end portion including a plurality of generally radial upwardly opening apertures, said conduit means between said inlet end portion and said outlet end portion being of a length adapted to extend from said common outlet to a point on the bottom of said tub upon which a person would normally be seated when seated in said tub, said outlet end portion being of a cross-sectional size and shape adapted to rest upon the bottom of a bathtub and to be received in the crotch area of a patient seated on said bottom astraddle said outlet end portion, said outlet end portion of said conduit means including a diametrically enlarged, soft, porous wrapping disposed thereabout.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said wrapping 4 is generally cylindrical in configuration and has its opposite end portions at least partially sealed relative to the adjacent portions of said conduit means.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said cylindrical wrapping completely encloses the portions of said outlet end portion in which said apertures are formed.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said outlet end portion of said conduit means includes a diametrically enlarged soft and porous wrapping disposed thereabout, said elongated conduit means extending through said wrapping and including a closed terminal end portion spaced longitudinally of said conduit means from said wrapping.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said closed terminal end portion includes means adapted to be tethered behind the lower portion of the back of av person seated in said tub astraddle said conduit means.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said outlet end portion of said conduit means includes a diametrically enlarged soft and porous wrapping disposed thereabout, said wrapping being generally cylindrical in configuration and having its opposite end portions at least partially sealed relative to the adjacent portions of said conduit means, said cylindrical wrapping completely enclosing the portions of said outlet end portion in which said openings are formed, said conduit means being stiff but flexible.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said elongated conduit means extends through said wrapping and includes a closed terminal end portion spaced longitudinally of said conduit means from said wrapping.

8. In combination with a bathtub of the type including a bottom and hot and cold water outlet, a therapeutic device for locally applying conditioned fluids to the crotch area of a patient seated in said tub, said device comprising elongated flexible conduit means including an inlet end portion communicated with the hot and cold water outlets of said tub and an outlet end portion including upwardly opening generally radially extending outlet opening means, said conduit means between said inlet end portion and said outlet end portion being of a length to extend from said outlets to the point on said bottom on which said patient is seated in order that the patient may sit astraddle the portion of said conduit means having said opening for-med therein, said outlet end portion being of a cross-sectional size and shape adapted to rest upon the bottom of a bathtub and to be received in the crotch area of a patient seated on said bottom astraddle said outlet end portion, said outlet end portion of said conduit means including a diametrically enlarged, soft, porous wrapping disposed thereabout.

9. The combination of claim -8 wherein said wrapping is generally cylindrical in configuration and has its opposite end portions at least partially sealed relative to the adjacent portions of said conduit means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 634,231 10/1899 Dixon 128-408 X 1,982,258 11/1934 Martin 4-180 2,250,325 7/1941 Barnes 128-400 3,092,101 6/1963 Kinney 128-66 3,267,936 8/1966 Brady 128-66 L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

